When you hire, it’s important to have accurate
information about what high school equivalency, or HSE,
means. One common misperception is that someone
who did not graduate from high school
can “earn a GED®.”
The GED® is a test, not a credential.

Only a state can issue a high
school equivalency credential. In
fact, a state issues a high school
equivalency certificate or diploma
after an individual passes a high school
equivalency test and, often, meets
other state-specific requirements.

The GED®, or General Education
Development exam, is one such
test, but now there are two more
options available — the High School
Equivalency Test (HiSET ®) from ETS and the Test Assessing
Secondary Completion ( TASC™) from DRC|C TB.

A state agency selects which test or tests it uses. Some
states select one test, while others use two or all three.

No one has ever earned a GED® — rather, he or she
passed a rigorous test that demonstrates high school-level
academic proficiency.

So the next time you hear someone
say, “This job candidate has a GED®,”
you’ll know that the candidate passed
one of three tests to earn a high school
equivalency credential.

Is there confusion in your workplace
regarding HSE?

Because the GED® was the only test
available for decades, many human
resource managers, recruiters and
hiring managers are not aware of the
testing choices in the market and how
credentials are earned.

Amy Riker, National Executive Director of the HiSET
Program, recalls the process at ETS: “We had to work
directly with our own HR department to change language
in job postings and job descriptions. It took time to

No One Has Ever “Earned a GED®”

— ADVERTISEMENT —

Dee Johnson, Administrator ofthe Tennessee Department ofLabor, concludes, “The HiSETexam leads to a high schoolequivalency diploma, whichrepresents an unquestionableacademic achievement. Whenan employer interviews one ofour students, they see someonewho will be a contributor to thebusiness on day one.”